Loop forming machine



Nov. 3, 1931. B. H. FOSTER EITAL LOOP FORMING- MACHINE Filed Jan. '19. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inner/207's BowZweLL .71. T06 Z67 Kenneth .B. 00010 I z I r m war-neg Nov. 3, 1931.- a. H. FOSTER ET AL I 1,830,463

LOOP FORMING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- Inventors .BoutweZL J-iZI'as-ber Jfennebh/ .23 (300]6 By- 7 I 1' 93 I rney Patented Nov. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOU'IWELL H. FOSTER, OF MAPLEWOOD', NEW JERSEY, AND KENNETH B. COOK, OF

WINNSBORO, SOUTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNORS TO THE MECHANICAL RUBBER COM- PANY, OF CLEVELAND, 01110, A CORPORATION OF NEW. JERSEY LOOP FORMING MACHINE Application filed January 19, 1928. Serial No. 247,768.

This invention relates to the manufacture of pile fabric. More particularly it relates to an improved machine for forming loops of thread or yarn upon woven fabric and to improvements in the method of making pile fabric. 4 v

It has been customary in machines for forming tufts of yarn etc. upon the surface of fabric to provide an intermittently actuated feed mechanism for the fabrics. Such a mechanism has necessarily been relatively complicated and inefficient. Also in pile forming machines it has been customary to place the needles in a single row widely spaced apart in order that the fabric may not be torn by the needles and to add to the ease with which the needles can he passed through the fabric. lVith such an arrangement it is impossible to obtain the necessary number of loops of yarn per inch to make a good firm pile fabric. Means previously devised for protecting the loops as they are formed whereby they are uninjured during subsequent loop forming operations have been inefficient.

It is an object of this invention to pro-' vide an improved feeding mechanism for and an improved method of feeding fabric to a loop forming machine. It is a further object to provide improved means for forming a plurality of loops in a fabric at the same time and in close relationship. Another object is to provide improved mechanism'for securing the previously formed stitches in order that they will not be injured by subsequent operations of the machine. A further object is to provide an improved means for directing the formed loops out of the path of the needles during feed of the fabric. Another object is to provide an improved sewing needle.

Other objects will be apparent from the specification and from the accompanying drawings in which latter:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental side elevation of the machine:

' an enlarged scale through the head of the machine illustrating the position of the presser plates when preventing yarn from'being drawn from the formed loops;

Fig. 4 is a trans verse sectional view through the head of the machine showing the needles in their elevated position;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal view partly broken away of a portion of the head of the machine showing only one row of needles for the purpose of clarity of illustration;

Fig. 6' is a detailed pers'pective'view showing the stepped position of the needles and the loop shields; d

Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged detail views of the needles;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of the needles.

vReferring particularly tothe drawings, the machine comprises in its preferred form a base 1 carrying rigidly thereon the head frames 2 and 3 which are connected by the braces 4. A shield plate 5 is mounted for vertical adjustment between the frame members 2 and 3. The shield plate carries threerows of spaced slotted shlelds 6 the upper ends of which are adapted to support the fabric. The shields in each row are disposed upon the shield plate in stepped relation with respect to the corresponding shields of the nextadjoining rows. The slot in each shield opens toward the front of the ma chine and a portion of the slot extends through the shield plate providing a passageway sufliciently large to freely receive the needles and yarn.- The slot in each shield is sufficiently large to provide for the lateral exit of the loops of yarn formed therein. The upper end of each shield is slightly rounded in order to eliminate any cutting surface.

of the bed plate. One of the bearings 9 is adj ustably secured to its cooperating bearing by means of bolts 10 whereby the bearings can be tightened to effect a braking action. The fabric extends across the shield plateto a feed roll 11 which is rigidly carried by a shaft 12. Shaft 12 is mounted for rotation 14 so that .the roll 15 rests by force of gravity upon the roll 11. The roll 11 is provided with a rough surface as for example by means of a coating of sand paper or grated tin in order to give it a holding surface. The

' fabric is conducted from the roll to a suitable receptacle -(not shown). The feed roll 11 is driven by means of a bevel gear 17 which is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 12. A

corresponding bevel gear 18 meshing with 15 the gear 17 is mounted rigidly upon a shaft 19. Shaft 19 is rotatably mounted in the supports 20 and carries rigidly a worm gear 21. Worm gear 21 meshes with a worm 22 which is rigidly carried by the shaft 23.

20 Shaft 23 is mounted for rotation in the frame members 2 and 3 and carries rigidly thereon the gear 24. Gear 24 meshes with the gear 25 which is rigidly affixed to the drive shaft of the motor 26.

25 Prior to passing overthe shield plate the edges of the fabric can be drawn laterally in order to remove any folds therein by means of worms which are pressed against the fabric or by any other suitable means for accomplishing this purpose such as are well known in this art. Adjustable fabric tension and guide rods 27 and 28 extend transversely across the head of the machine as close to the needles as is practicable. The rods 27 are adjustably secured to the frame members 2 and 3 by means of a'nut 29 and rods 27 and 28 are rigidly connected by means of the arms 30. The guide rods are so positioned that the fabric is deflected by each of the rods as it passes to and from the shield plate and rods 28 are so positioned as to normally cause the fabric to be pressed downwardly against the shield plate. The rods are made adjustable in order that rods 28 can be elevated as shown in Fig. 3 when the fabric is being threaded through the ma-' chine thereby facilitating the operation of threading the machine.

A plurality of needles 31 are held in the machine upon a needle bar 32 which passes loosely through slots in the frame members 2 and 3. The slots are elongated vertically suificiently to permit 'the needles to be .passed in reciprocatln movement through the fabric. The nee le bar is driven by means of an eccentric 33 which isrigidly mounted upon the shaft-23 and which actuates an eccentric rod 34 which latter supports and drives the needle bar. The needles 31 are held in the needle bar 32 by means of compression nuts 35. The needles are so positioned in the needle bar that at the outer end of. their stroke their pointed ends terminate iust clear of the fabric upon the shield plate, a suitable distance between the needle points and the fabric being 1 when loops are made in the fabric at the rate of 11 loops per 2" of fabric lengthwise thereof. It is intended that the needles be raised sufliciently to withdraw suflicient yarn from the loops to provide for retaining yarns upon the back of the fabric, upon the reverse'side from the loops, in form like sewing-machine stitches without causing the formation of loops upon the back of the fabric. The needles are disposed upon the needle bar in three rows, the corresponding nnedles of each row being in stepped relation. A larger number of rows of needles such as for example five or a lesser number of rows of needles can be used if desired with a corresponding variation in the number of shields which cooperate therewith. By means of the stepped or staggered arrangement of needles it is possible to actuate the needles to form loops in close relation in the fabric without causing a tearing of the fabric. rangement also gives the greatest possible ease in punching the needles through the fabric.

The needles are tubular in form and the point thereof terminates at one side of the end of the needle. The end ofthe needle which forms the point terminates along a line'extending diagonally across the body of the needle at an angle of for example 45 forming a point at the extremity of the body. The portion of the needle at the base of the point is rolled or curved in order that the yarn which is fedthrough the hollow interior of l the needle and issues therefrom at the base of the point may be uninjured when the needle is forced through the fabric. As ad- 'additional security against cutting action by the needle the wall of the needle opposite the point is thickened at 36 as for example by a coating of solder or otherwise. In order that knots or other obstructions carried by the yarn can pass through the needle and around the thickened portion 36 an opening 37 is provided in the body of the needle opposite This ar- I the thickened portion 36. The edges of the needle wall at the pointed end of the needle are slightly rounded in order to further lessen a cutting effect by the needle. The needles are positioned upon the needle bar with the portion thereof carrying the point facingtoward the oncoming fabric. Thisa'rran-gement prevents the needles from tearing the fabricwhile passing therethrough. The

needles are forced through the fabric to a distance at least twice the length of the loops to be formed.

'..The needles are driven in reciprocating movement and the fabric feed roll 11 is driven in rotation at a constant rate of speed. As the needlespass through the fabric, feed of fabric across the shield. plate is prevented.

The feed roll 11 and the shield plate 5 are sufliciently spaced so that stretch due to the l 9 press against the yarn and fabric with a yieldlooseness of the weave of the fabric permits a portion of the fabric to be wound around the feed roll 11 while the portion of the fabric upon the shield plate 5 is held stationary. Upon elevation of-the needles above the fabric the fabric springs forwardly across the shield plate bringing a fresh portion thereon to a position in which the parts of the front needles are spaced a distance of approximately from the last formed tufts of yarn. By the elements described there has been provided a simple effective Way of continuously feeding fabric whereby it is intermittently supplied to the. needles.

A needle guide plate 38 is supported from the needle bar 32 by means of bolts 39 which are rigidly secured to the guide bar and which pass loosely through openings in the needle bar. Nuts 40 screwed upon the bolts 39 provide adjustable abutment means for supporting the'bolts 39 from the needle bar. The bolts 39 extend upwardly through brackets 41 which project outwardly from the frame elements 2 and 3. Brackets 41 serve as abutments for coil springs 42 which surroundthe bolts 39 and which abut also against the adjustable nuts 43 which are screwed upon the bolts 39. The guide bar 38 carries rigidly a plurality of presser plates 44 whichextend from the guide bar upon the forward side of the needles 31. Upon passage of the needles forwardly through the fabric the presser plates 44 are conducted downwardly until they rest against the backing yarn upon the fabric, pressing the backing yarn against the fabric with sufiicient force to prevent yarn from beingwithdrawn from the previously formed loops. The edge of the presser plate is preferably formed with 'a plurality of saw teeth or with a milled edge. The presser plate forces the yarn against the fabric at points spaced from the shields in order that knots or "other irregularities carried by one yarn will not prevent the shield from contacting with the adjacent yarns. The presure plates ing pressure due tothe springs 42iduring the further travel of the needles through the fabric. Adjustment of the nuts 40 regulates the relative positions of the presser plates and needles at the time when the presser plates engage and are removed from engagement with the yarns upon the fabric.

The strands of yarn are conducted, to the needles from a creel 45 which carries the packages of yarn 46. The strands of yarn 47 are conducted from the packagesthrough porcelain thread guides 49 which are carried by the frame 50. Other smooth thread guides than porcelain can be used if desired. The yarns now pass through guides in a thread board 51 whi h is positioned at one end of a frame 52. From the thread. board 51 the yarns pass through the combs 53 and through a second set of porcelain guides in the thread board 54. The porcelain thread guides are arranged in rows of three in stepped relation in a manner simulating the arrangement of the needles upon the needle bar. The thread boards and combs serve to give. the proper spacing of the yarns as they pass to the needles. Three guide rods 55, 56, and 57 are positioned in the head'of the machine extending between the frame elements 2 and 3. The guide rods are so positioned that the forward side of eachrod lies directly above one of the rows of needles in the needle bar 32. Each yarn passes from the thread board 54 over one of the rods 55, 56 or 57 and into the needle positioned directly below.

In the operation of the machine fabric is fed from the supply roll 7 between the guide rods 27 and 28 over the shields 6 through the of the shield 6 due to this tension aided by the engagement of therods 28 therewith adjacent the shield plate whereby the fabric is stripped from the needles when the needles are raised. The needles are driven in reciprocating movement passing through the fabric and downwardly through the grooves of the shields into the holes in the shield plate drawing the yarn through the needle to the under SldG of the fabric and leaving the yarn thus fed as loops upon the under side of the fabric as the needles are withdrawn upwardly through the fabric. The presser plates 44 bearfiagainst the retaining yarns leading from the needles to the last formed loops shortly after the needles start to enter the fabric. The presser plates remain firmly pressed against the backing or retaining yarns until the needles have arrived at a position in which they are about to be withdrawn from the fabric. The feed of yarn from the packages upon the creel is effected with a minimum of friction. As the fabric is carried forward after each loop forming operation of the needles each loop is conducted forwardly across the shield plate through the passageway formed by the groove of the shield and consequently along a path which is disposed laterally of the path of reciprocation of the other needles and thereby preventing the needles during subsequent reciprocation of the needles through the fabric from tearing or otherwise aflcg ting each previously formed loop.

It is contemplated in this invention to use any fabric of more or less open texture second set of guide rods 27 and 28 to the feed either singly or in two or more thicknessesl If desired the fabric can be its natural color or dyed as for example to the color of the yarn. Carpet yarns are contemplated as 5 well as any yarns or threads which may be useful in making a pile fabric. The yarn A can be dyed in spots if desired in order that color designs may be formed upon the fabric. One or more yarns can be fed from the creel:

to each needle as desired. A plurality of yarns are contemplated as being desirable for the reason that only a single knot is likely to occur at one portion of the yarns and consequently likelihood of theyarns being ob structed in their passage through the needles is minimized. A backing of rubber composition can be applied to the rear surface of the fabric subsequent to the loop a forming operation which backing serves to secure the loops permanently to the woven fabric and to give Weight thereto. Other materials than rubber composition can be used for the backing if desired, such for example as cellulose acetate, asphaltum, etc. The ends of the loops can be cut off if desired to form a pile fabric. I

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: Q.

1. A loop forming machine comprising a. plurality of needles disposed in stepped relation, said needles being adapted to be threaded with yarn, a support adapted to carry fabric, said support being proyided with a plurality of slots disposed in stepped relation and opening laterally of each other,

means for feeding the fabrie', =-a1 id means for reciprocating the needles pass aportion thereof through the fabric into the corre- 40 sponding slots forming loops of yarn left projecting from the fabr c intothe slots, which loops are drawn through the slots out of alignment with the needles during travel of the fabric.

2. A loop forming machine comprising a plurality of needles disposed in stepped relation, said needles being adapted to be threaded with yarn, a plurality of slotted members adapted to carry'fabric, said slotted members being disposed in stepped relation with the slots opening laterally of each other,

means for sup orting the slotted members, means -for feedlflg the fabric, and means for reciprocating the needles to pass a portion thereof through the fabric into the slots of the corresponding slotted members forming.

loops of yarn left projecting from the fabric into the slots, said loops being drawn out of alignment with the needles during travel of the fabric.

3. A loop forming machine comprising means for causing travel of fabric, a plurality of tubular needles adapted to be threaded with yarn and each having a laterally carried point, said needles being disposed in stepped relation with the pointed side of the needles facing in the direction from which the fabric is fed, and means for reciprocating the needles to pass a. portion thereof through the fabric forming loops of yarn left projecting from the fabrlc.

4. A needle comprising a tubular body one end of which terminates in a laterally carried point, the portion of the end opposite the point being thickened and a portion of the body opposite the thickened portion being provided with an opening.

7. Ina loop forming machine, a fabric support having a plurality of upstanding members the free ends of which are adapted to support fabric passing thereover, said members being provided with openings to receive a needle and being open on the side over which the fabric last passes.

8. In a loop forming machine in combination, a plurahty of tubular needles pointed on the side from which the fabric approaches, a plurality of upstanding members the free ends of which are adapted to support fabric passing thereover, said members being provided with openings to receive a needle and being open onthe side over which the fabric last passes.

9. A loop forming machine comprising a support for fabric, a needle adapted to be threadedwith yarn, means for feedin the fabric across the support, means for reciprocating the needle to pass a portion of the same through the fabric forming spaced loops of yarn through and left projecting from one side of the fabric with the adjoining loops connected by a backing of yarn upon the opposite side of the fabric, and means for press-' ing the backing, during the withdrawal of the needle from the fabric, against the fabric whereby withdrawal of yarn from the loops is prevented.

10. A loop forming machine comprising a support forfabric, a needle adapted to be threaded with yarn, means for feeding'ithe fabric across the support, means for reciprocating the needle to pass a portion of the same through the fabric forming spaced loops of yarn through and left projecting from one side of the fabric with the adjoining'loops I connected by a backing of yarn zu'ponth'e opposite side of the fabric, and means for pressing the backing during .the withdrawal of the needle from tlie fabric, against the fabric laterally of the support whereby withdrawal of arm from the loops is prevented.

igned at New York, county of New York, State of New York, this 29th day of December, 1927.

BOUTWELL H. FOSTER. Signed at Winnsboro, county of Fairfield, State of South Carolina, this 13th day of January, 1928.

KENNETH B. COOK. 

